An Anti-Corruption Commission drive prompted by complaints to its 106 hotline resulted in show-cause notices issued against 30 teachers of the city's Willes Little Flower School and College yesterday, in relation to their involvement in 'coaching business'. The drive was carried out by a team comprising assistant director Mohammad Javed Habib and deputy assistant director Afnan Jannat Keya, acting on the directions of Director General (Administration) Mohammad Munir Chowdhury, was deployed to probe the allegation.

They found that although the teachers in question made a pledge in 2017 not to continue their coaching activities - i.e. private tuition - they were found to be not only in breach of the commitment, but also forcing their students at Willes to enroll for them.

On the directives of the ACC team, the show-cause notices were immediately issued by the school authorities seeking explanations from the 30 teachers found to be primarily involved in such activity, generally viewed as unnecessary but driven by teachers as a way to make exorbitant sums of money over and above their salaries.

Also during the drive, the ACC team discovered that some students of grade 9, despite failing several subjects, were still set to gain promotion to grade 10 under dubious circumstances, thanks to a class-teacher.

To verify the allegations and ACC team's own suspicions, an investigation committee was formed in their presence to bring forth the whole truth before taking any action against the teacher.

Willes Little Flower School and College started its journey as Willes Little Flower Higher Secondary School in 1956 as one of the earliest institutions offering English-medium education in what was then East Pakistan.

It takes its name from founder Josephine Willes.